Dee Joseph, a 35-year-old supporter of Morgan Tsvangirai, has a lot of sympathy with Zimbabwe’s embattled prime minister. “He is carrying heavy,” she says, reflecting on the largely unsuccessful political battles Mr Tsvangirai has fought with Robert Mugabe, the president, since the two men agreed – a year ago on Tuesday – to form a coalition government. “If he says he is pulling out, then I agree with him.”

Yet, as a hard-up mother with three children Ms Joseph desperately hopes Mr Tsvangirai opts to stay. Since Mr Tsvangirai eventually took over as prime minister in February, Ms Joseph – like most other Zimbabweans – has noticed an improvement in living standards. “We didn’t have food in the cupboard and my kids didn’t have anything to eat,” she says. “Now they can even take bread to school.”